SPACECRAFT AND EXPENDABLE VEHICLES STATUS REPORT
October 9, 2002
George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center
321/867-2468
MISSION: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-J (TDRS-J)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA (AC-144)
LAUNCH SITE: Pad 36-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
LAUNCH DATE: November 20, 2002
LAUNCH WINDOW: 10:36 p.m. - 11:16 p.m. EST
The Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA launch vehicle arrived at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station from Denver, CO on Tuesday, October 8 at 8:20
a.m. aboard an Antonov 124 aircraft. It was offloaded and taken to Hangar
J. The Atlas stage with its Rocketdyne MA-5A two-chamber booster engine and
sustainer engine is being erected on Pad 36-A today. The Centaur stage with
its pair of Pratt and Whitney RL-10 engines will be hoisted atop the Atlas
on Friday, October 11. Launch vehicle managers are watching Tropical Storm
Kyle to assess whether this should be postponed.
This is the twenty-fourth and final Lockheed Martin Atlas IIA
model launch vehicle (no solid rocket boosters) and has a 100% success rate.
The TDRS-J spacecraft is undergoing testing at the factory and is
tentatively planned to arrive at Kennedy Space Center from the Boeing
Satellite Systems plant in El Segundo, California on October 17.
MISSION: Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Pegasus XL
LAUNCH LOCATION: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
LAUNCH DATE: December 1, 2002
LAUNCH WINDOW: 3:09 p.m. - 4:09 p.m. EST T-0: 3:14 P.M.
SORCE is at the Orbital Space Systems Group spacecraft facility in
Dulles, Virginia and has satisfactorily completed space environment tests.
The spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at Kennedy Space Center to begin final
processing on October 26.
The Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL launch vehicle continues to
undergo buildup and testing at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Two Flight
Simulation tests are scheduled while the vehicle is in California. Flight
Simulation No. 1 is scheduled for October 9 and will be followed by Flight
Simulation No. 2 on October 16.
The Pegasus is scheduled for ferry to Cape Canaveral using the
Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft on October 29. Three Flight Simulation
tests are also planned at KSC prior to launch and are scheduled to occur on
November 1, November 8 and November 18.
MISSION: Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESAT) and the Cosmic
Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPSAT)
LAUNCH VEHICLE: Delta II w/Dual Payload Attach Fixture (DPAF)
LAUNCH SITE: SLC-2W Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB)
LAUNCH DATE: NET December 15, 2002
LAUNCH WINDOW: 4:09:32 - 5:32:00 p.m. PST
The ICESAT spacecraft is at the Ball Aerospace Facility in
Boulder, Colorado. This week it successfully completed vibration testing
that assures sound electrical and mechanical connections. The spacecraft is
now scheduled to arrive at Vandenberg Air Force Base on October 23.
The CHIPSAT spacecraft is at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
It has now successfully concluded thermal vacuum testing and vibration
testing. The CHIPSAT spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at Vandenberg Air
Force Base on October 14.
The Delta II first and second stage have arrived at Vandenberg
after successfully completing checkout at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The booster is scheduled for erection October 22 on Space Launch Complex 2
located on North Vandenberg Air Force Base.
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